May Relics Be Sold?

by Gunther Simmermacher · July 22, 2025

Catholic Relics for Sale – online examples

Question: Recently, I discovered a relic of St John Bosco, apparently a piece of bone within a reliquary, for sale online by a trader from Cape Town. Is such a sale of relics allowed?

Answer: The Catholic Church teaches that relics should be treated with respect and veneration, as they are not merely historical artifacts but sacred objects that connect the faithful to the Communion of Saints. Venerating relics is an expression of faith and reverence for the holiness of the saints, which should be reflected in their treatment.

Canon Law is clear: “It is absolutely forbidden to sell sacred relics” (1190). Relics are not commodities to be bought and sold but sacred objects intended for veneration and devotion. Their sale can lead to abuses, such as the trade in forged or stolen items, and ultimately profanes their sacred nature. In light of this prohibition, flogging a saint’s relic online is also impermissible.

Canonical penalties

Engaging in the sale of relics is simony. In the Catholic Church, simony is the sinful and unlawful act of buying or selling spiritual goods, sacraments, or ecclesiastical offices (see Canons 149, 1190). Simony is considered a grave sin because it commodifies the sacred and undermines the integrity of the faith.

The sale of relics can lead to serious canonical penalties, including excommunication, depending on the circumstances and the gravity of the offence. This, of course, presumes that the seller is a Catholic in the first place.

Due to the prohibition of the sale of sacred relics, Catholics are also not allowed to buy them. Any acquisition of relics should take place through legitimate and respectful means.

These include receiving them as gifts, through inheritance, or via proper ecclesiastical channels.

There are three classes of relics: First-class relics are the physical remains of a saint (such as bones or hair); Second-class relics are items that belonged to or were used by a saint (such as clothing or personal possessions); third-class relics are objects that have touched a first- or second-class relic, such as a crucifix that has touched a saint’s bone.

First-class relics in particular should ideally be housed in places of veneration, such as churches or shrines, where they can be honoured appropriately — and they may never be treated as a commodity for sale.

Answered by Günther Simmermacher

Published in the May 2025 issue of The Southern Cross